Research claims almost 3.27m tonnes of food, produced in the UAE every year and estimated to be worth $3.5bn, is wasted due to oversupply and inadequate logistics provisions.
The calculations were made by supply chain solution firm, Massar Solutions, which came to the figure by valuing the cost of every truck load of food at AED100,000.
Brent Melvin, general manager of Supply Chain Solutions, said: “The figures speak for themselves, and highlight the need for the industry to look at responsibly reducing food waste throughout the supply chain process.
“Although some element of waste cannot be prevented, reducing its scale will deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits.”
“F&B fleet operators play a critical role here, just as much as production and distribution companies. We have some of the best transport infrastructure in the UAE. However, there is an urgent need to increase the level of efficiency of F&B fleets and logistics operations. This can be achieved by adopting innovative solutions and technologies that can help ensure the quality of food is maintained right up to final delivery,” said Melvin.
According to a study by the United Nations, about 32.7 per cent of food produced globally is wasted each year.
“Around five per cent of the food loss can be reduced through intelligent logistics, which includes real-time checks and proper drivers training,” he concluded.
